The Hunterian Museum Is Closing For 3 Years

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Tabish KhanThe Hunterian Museum Is Closing For 3 Years

A view inside the fantastic collection at the Hunterian Museum. Courtesy Royal College of Surgeons.

The Hunterian Museum is closing in May 2017 for a major refurbishment, and won't open again until summer 2020.

Why should we care? Because the Hunterian is one of London's best smaller museums and it's a must see to anyone who hasn't been before and isn't too squeamish.

It's a fantastic collection of curiosities including preserved tumours, skeletons affected by syphilis, and the full skeleton of 'the Irish giant' Charles Byrne. It's not just humans that are covered — there are plenty of animal skulls too.

There are drawings, photography and early anatomy tables that were used for dissections. And if the pseudo-scientific is more your bag then there's also a cast of a Yeti's foot.

We're regular visitors to the museum and it will be missed, but we're hoping that it'll be even better after the refurbishment. You can see more information on the project, which involved redeveloping several of the Royal College of Surgeons' Lincoln's Inn Fields buildings, here.

The Hunterian Museum is part of the Royal College of Surgeons, 35-44 Lincoln's Inn Field, WC2A 3PE. Entrance is free and the museum will be open until 20 May 2017. The Museum will re-open in Summer 2020.